SHILLONG : Visitors to Sohra have another reason to stop at Eco Park this week, with artisans from across the Northeast bringing handloom, bamboo, cane and other traditional products to the Gandhi Shilp Bazaar.
The exhibition, running from August 11 to 17, has stalls featuring crafts from different parts of the region, giving tourists and local visitors a chance to browse and buy products directly from participating artisans and craft groups.
Among the items on display are Assamese chadors and Muga silk, bamboo and cane products from Tripura, Mizoram embroidery, Nagaland handloom and Manipur lacquerware. The range also gives visitors a glimpse of how differently communities across the Northeast use traditional materials, designs and techniques in their everyday craft.
The bazaar was opened in the presence of Daphiralin Kharjana, Managing Director of Meghalaya Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited; Dr M. Chuba Ao, Vice-President of the BJP National Committee and Chairman of MARCOFED, Nagaland; R. Bendangao, Managing Director of MARCOFED; and Rima Sonar, Assistant Director, HSC, Shillong.
Representatives from Village Durbar, the Handicrafts Service Centre and other guests were also present. For the artisans, the bazaar is more than a display. It gives them a chance to sell their products directly, meet customers and take their work to people outside their usual markets.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, and organised by MARCOFED, Nagaland.
The bazaar is open to visitors free of charge at Eco Park, Mawsmai, Sohra, until August 17.
